Introduction to Beethoven’s Intense Life
It turned out that Beethoven not only sounded intense – he also looked it. Almost 200 years after the death of Ludwig van Beethoven, scientists say that they have finally put together how the famous moody Maestro actually looked.
The Reconstruction of Beethoven’s Face
A Brazilian graphics expert used the skull photos, the facial modeling of the 19th century and AI to reconstruct the frowned face of the original Bad Boy of classical music. The first digital render of the first person shows the German composers, just as he was often portrayed in oil paintings: creates and pondered. "I found my face a little intimidating," said the expert who worked on the reconstruction.
Beethoven’s Personality
The artist, who was previously known as Ludwig, became such a legendary Grouch. Experts say that it may have been as much biology as biography. "Indeed, he was irritated, messy, awkward, rude and misanthropic," said a British conductor in a blog post – Although he added: "Beethoven could be funny, caring, mischievous, generous and friendly."
The Medical Secret of Beethoven’s Life
In 2023 a groundbreaking DNA study published in a scientific journal opened the medical secret of Beethoven’s turbulent life – and painful death at the age of 56. The researchers seized his genome with five strands of his preserved hair and found that he probably died of liver failure caused by chronic alcohol consumption, in combination with hepatitis B and a genetic predisposition to liver diseases.
Beethoven’s Health Issues
According to reports, the beloved composer began jaundice in 1821, a symptom for liver diseases, and had a progressive hearing loss that made it completely numb until the mid-1940s. "Most people who carry out genetic tests for fun, including me, will find that it is nothing wrong," said a researcher. "But in this study we had fascinating results in every branch that we looked at, from the risk of illness to family tree."
Beethoven’s Family Tree
In fact, Beethoven’s confused roots were more than musical – the study also suggested that a child may have been born from an affair in his family border. As if that weren’t enough, bones, which were believed to be fragments of Beethoven’s skull – were recently donated to the Medical University of Vienna by a businessman.
The Reconstruction Process
The reconstructed Beethoven’s famous intensive face-supported with old skulls and tissue data data and reinforced by a death mask that was made while the composer still had a pulse. "I examined his genius academically and revealed what made him an icon of western music," said the expert about his study. "I analyzed his revolutionary creativity, his resistance in connection with deafness, intensive focus, problem-solving ability and tireless productivity, despite a challenging personality."
